ABC to show more college football

Press Release

05/16/2006

In a broadcast television first, ABC will launch a weekly college football primetime series. ABC Saturday Night College Football, featuring showdowns between top programs, will highlight the network's 41st season of extensive college football coverage.

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Every telecast will begin at 8 p.m. ET and be offered in high definition on ABC HD. Coverage will kick off September 2 with Notre Dame at Georgia Tech and be followed September 9 by Ohio State at defending National Champion Texas. The 12-week series is an expansion from last year's schedule of four Saturday primetime games.

ABC Saturday Night College Football will be hosted by veteran commentator Brent Musburger, a leading play-by-play voice who has worked numerous college and professional championships, and analyst Bob Davie, who was in the booth for ESPN College Football Saturday Primetime telecasts and the National Championship Rose Bowl on ESPN Radio last season. They will be joined by ESPN College GameDay and ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime analyst Kirk Herbstreit on certain weeks. Lisa Salters, an NBA sideline reporter and general assignment correspondent for multiple ESPN news outlets, will report from the sidelines. Herbstreit's presence in the ABC Saturday Night College Football booth will depend on the College GameDay site, which will continue to originate from the day's best game and be selected on a week-to-week basis.

"This primetime series will be terrific for fans as more top-quality sports product comes to the ABC Television Network," said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. "These games join a strong lineup of sports on ABC, including the NBA Finals, NASCAR's playoffs -- Chase for the Nextel Cup -- in 2007, Belmont Stakes and Indianapolis 500."

Marquee matchups from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, BIG EAST and Pac-10 as well as Notre Dame will be offered each week. Similar to ABC Sports' Saturday afternoon coverage, select ABC Saturday Night College Football broadcasts will feature split-national coverage with multiple games in one window. Much of the schedule has been determined (see below) and additional games from the Big 12, ACC or BIG EAST – where a 12-day selection is permitted for primetime games – will be chosen during the season. This year's primetime schedule does not include games on October 21 and 28.